Supporting frame or substructure for roof or cover



Feb. 10, 1970 w. c. ADAMS ETAL SUPPORTING FRAME OR SUBSTRUCTURE FOR ROOF OR COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 7. 1968 FIGI ATTORNEY Feb. 10, 1970 w. c. ADAMS ET AL 3,494,0$2

SUPPORTING FRAME OR SUBSTRUCTURE FOR ROOF OR COVER Filed Nov. 7, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ma H66 INVENTORS l8 WILLIAM c. ADAMS LORANE c. soss JR.

BY kw, 7% sfiww ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,494,082 SUPPORTING FRAME OR SUBSTRUCTURE FOR ROOF OR COVER William C. Adams, New Cumberland, and Loraue C. Goss, Jr., Mechauicsburg, Pa., assignors to Capitol Products Corporation, Mechauicsburg, Pa.

Filed Nov. 7, 1968, Ser. No. 774,002 Int. Cl. E04b 1/32, 7/08; E0411 3/362 US. Cl. 52-86 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is readily adaptable to a knockdown type of building or structure which may be readily assembled in the field requiring the use of several conventional wrenches. A building of this type is usually formed from parts that are considered standard and which are capable of being assembled with considerable ease and within relatively short periods of time. Heretofore, certain efforts have been directed to fabricating buildings having an arched roof which is a continuation of the sides and which is typified by the well-known Quonset hut type of structure. In such buildings the substructure could be wooden and the sheathing or panel strips could be secured in place by conventional nails or screws. The efforts that have been exploited in prior art structures have usually dealt with the manner of securing the panels to adjacent panels and to the wooden supporting structure in an effort to produce a rigid and strong structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The supporting frame or substructure of the present invention is formed from a plurality of flat metallic plates that have an undulating or notched surface formed on one edge thereof. A plurality of the plates are arranged in contiguous parallel relation to one another to form what might be considered to be a pack. The plates are provided with a plurality of spaced apertures for the reception of suitable bolts for joining the plates together. The plates are so assembled that the undulating or notched surface of adjacent plates extend or project in opposite directions to one another. This arrangement tends to define a recess or ledge-like abutment that extends transversely of the plates, and constitute the means by which interlocking edges of panel members may be secured to the supporting frame or substructure. The pack or group of plates which constitue the supporting frame or substructure are so joined together that at least one of the plates is arranged in an offsetting relation with respect to the other plates in the pack or group and the offsetting plate or plates become the means by which the plates of one group or pack may be connected to the plates of another group or pack to form a frame member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is an end elevational view showing a supporting frame with a roof or cover embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detailed view showing a portion of a supporting frame with a portion of a covering panel secured thereto;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of a section of the supporting frame and cover illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of frame structure and cover of the present invention, the view being taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is another view similar to FIGURE 5, the view being taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the FIGURE 4 of the drawings, there is shown an elongated plate member 10 that is formed into substantially flat and smooth bottom and end faces 12 and 14 respectively. The top or upper edge of plate member 10 is formed with an undulating surface 16 that embodies a plurality of spaced notches or rack type of teeth which extend from the left to the right of the plate member as viewed in FIGURE 4. There is also shown in FIG- URE 4 an elongated plate member 18 that is formed with relatively flat, smooth bottom and end faces in the same manner as plate member 10. The top or upper edge of plate member 18 is formed with an undulating surface 20 of the same type as surface 16 on plate member 10 except that the undulating surface 20 extends from the right to the left of the plate member 18 as viewed in FIG- URE 4. The plate members 10 and 18 are each formed with an aperture or hole 22 in each end portion and with an aperture or hole 24 in the center portion. The plate members 10 and 18 are not of uniform height throughout their length due to the configuration of the undulating surfaces 16 and 18 so that the center portion of each plate member is of the greatest height with the end portions being of the smallest height.

The plate members 10 and 18 are assembled into supporting frame or rib structures by arranging a plurality of said plate members in contiguous parallel relation to one another. The plate members are arranged in odd number of rows and while FIGURE 4 shows three rows of plate members this is by way of illustration as it may be determined that the load to be supported would require an assembly of additional rows. The plate members of any one row are so arranged that the ends thereof are spaced from the ends of the plates immediately preceding as well as trailing said plate members. As shown in FIG- URE 4 the two ends of one plate member are spaced from the ends of the immediately preceding and immediately trailing plate member a distance equal to one-half the length of a plate member. While all of the plate members 10 and 18 are arranged in spaced parallel relation to one another no one plate member overlies another plate member as each plate member is arranged in staggered relation with respect to its adjacent plate member. The plate members 10 and 18 are joined to one another in the aforementioned staggered and overlapping arrangement by suitable bolts 26 that are inserted through the apertures 22 and 24 and suitable nuts 28 are threaded on the bolts 26 to lock the plate members in their assembled position such as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

In assembling the plate members 10 and 18 so as to form a supporting frame or rib structure which may be in the form of an arch, as shown in FIGURE 1; it is to be noted that in each row the plate members 10 and 18 are alternated with respect to one another. This alternate arrangement produces undulating surfaces that extend in opposite directions in adjacent plate members in each row. However, as regards the undulating surfaces of the various plate members in the several rows that are assembled together there is formed a recess or notch 30 that extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of the plate members and 18. The securing together of the several rows of plate members 10 and 18 to form the rib structure or supporting frame results in the undulating surface on the next adjacent plate member so as to form recesses or notches 30 which facilitate the securing or anchoring of sheet panelling 32 to the rib structure as a cover member. The edge formations 34 of adjacent sheet panelling 32 are readily secured to the plate members as shown in FIGURE 3 while at the same time grooves or ridges 36 formed in said cover members 32 are also secured or anchored in the recesses or notches 30 as illustrated in FIGURE 2. The recesses or notches 30 formed by the undulating surfaces 16 and 20 of the plate members tend to exert pressure from two directions against the edge formations 34 and grooves 36 of the cover member 32 to insure the locking and retention of the cover member upon the supporting rib structure. Such an arrangement provides for a rigid structure that is sturdy and capable of bearing a relatively heavy load. The panel members 10 and 18 may have brace members 38 secured thereto by the bolts 26 if additional strengthening is deemed necessary as illustrated in FIGURE 1 although it is to be noted that the plate members 10 and 18 when assembled in the aforementioned manner and with the cover members connected thereto produce a structure or unit that is sturdy and rigid and readily susceptible of many uses without requiring any braces.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character, in order that the invention may be completely set forth, it is to be understood that the specific terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining, and that various rearrangements of pa ts and modifications of detail may be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A supporting frame for a panel type covering member comprising a plurality of fiat elongated plate members arranged in spaced parallel relation to one another, means, securing said plate members together in staggered relation to one another defining a frame member, said plate members having an undulating surface formed on a common edge thereof, said undulating surfaces including a plurality of spaced recesses having relatively sharp abutments, with the abutments of contiguous plate members extending in opposite directions and defining with contiguous plate members recesses extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of said plate members, and a cover member having flanged edge formations positioned within certain of said recesses for securing said cover members to said plate members.

2. A supporting frame as defined in claim 1 wherein said cover member is also formed with depending grooves for engagement by the abutments of said plate members.

3. A supporting frame as defined in claim 2 wherein said undulating surfaces comprise a plurality of saw-like teeth forming recesses having relatively sharp abutments for engaging the flanged edge formations and grooves of said cover member.

4. A supporting frame as defined in claim 1 wherein said plate members are arranged in parallel rows with the plate members of each roW being spaced from one another a distance approximately one-half the length of one of said plate members.

5'. A supporting frame as defined in claim 1 wherein said plate members are secured to one another in angular relation to form a frame member having an arch configuration.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,654,625 1/1928 Wilson 52-86 2,642,162 6/1953 Tobias 52-86 X 3,274,739 9/1966 Gregoire 52-86 X 3,375,624 4/1968 Mikulin 52-86 X HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner SAM D. BURKE III, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

